You Are Not Alone, My Darling
by DWF222
Summary: It all started with one saying. A saying from one of his past lives. A saying he was unaware had two meanings. Two purposes. A saying that was spoken by Elizabeth I on her deathbed. The words were powerful. Enough to frighten armies of thousands, fleets of millions. But, it brought back the impossible. The youth twinkling in his eyes. A hope that had been long lost...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Inspired by the recent Day of the Doctor special (which was totally, absolutely, positively AWESOME!), I decided to write a short fanfic on Doctor Who. It will only be a few chapters, but I hope you all like it. Please review, and I'll be sure to return the favor!**

The Doctor pulled at the lapels of his jacket, looking into a mirror of the TARDIS. Licking his hand, he slipped his fingers back along his bangs. He turned to me, smiling nervously.

"How do I look?" the Doctor asked, smoothing out the wrinkles in his trousers.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't keep the grin off my face. "For the tenth time you look positively lovely."

He narrowed his eyes, unsure whether I was telling the truth or was growing bored of watching him fix his hair and straighten his bow tie for the past half an hour.

I strode up to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Pulling back, I gave him a reassuring smile. "She'll love you. How could she not?"

The Doctor's suspicion disappeared, and his face relaxed. Before I could say anything else, he whisked me into his arms and spun me around the console of the TARDIS. I loved it when he did that.

"Clara Oswald, you are brilliant! Wonderfully brilliant!" he laughed.

I giggled, but he soon slowed and set me back onto my feet. I snatched up my jacket that hung on the railing and slipped it on. I looped my red scarf around my neck and pulled on my striped hat. "Ready?"

He looked like a schoolboy on Christmas day. "Yes."

Pushing the door open, we both exited the TARDIS, the cold December wind nipping at our cheeks. Snow fell lightly from the sky, dusting the Earth in a white, sparkling beauty. The sun receded into the skyline, the sky enveloped with purple, red, and orange. London was busy with the typical Christmas Eve bustle.

He offered me his arm. Beaming, I gladly took it, and we began to wander the streets of London. People greeted us with kindness, offering wishes of "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas". We gazed up at the twinkling Christmas lights, smiling stupidly. For once, it was nice not being chased. It was nice not having to run for our lives. For once, he didn't have to be clever, and I didn't have to save him. I didn't have to be impossible.

I had never seen him so excited. His eyes were now full of hope, full of life. They were young and youthful. It was strange how one silly girl could do that to him. He was nervous though. I could tell. Worried that she wouldn't like him, worried that she wouldn't accept him, his life, his past. But I had no doubt she would fall in love with him. I did. Oh, but not in the way you think.

It all started with one saying. A saying from one of his past lives. A saying he was unaware had two meanings. Two purposes. A saying that was spoken by Elizabeth I on her deathbed. The Doctor insisted on being with her at the very end.

_"It's my duty as her…husband," he said._

I didn't protest.

Little did he know though, that what seemed like an innocent visit, would change his life forever. They were her last words to him. The last syllables that passed her lips. They were neither angry, nor joyful, neither scared, nor brave. They were full of love. Full of care. He was indifferent though.

_"Doctor, my doting love," she whispered, pale and frail from age, sickness, and deep loneliness._

_I could see the Doctor didn't share the same love that she showered him with, but he cared for her nonetheless. She was a person, his wife._

_"Shhh…no need to speak. Just rest, Elizabeth," he insisted, stroking her feverish cheek._

_Even though it was clear he didn't love her, I could tell it pained him to see her in such a state. He remembered her youthful and always wanted her to stay that way. He didn't like change. How the years of rule diluted the red in her hair. Her once flawless skin, plagued by wrinkles._

_Stubborn, she shook her head. _

_"Listen carefully, my love, as my end draws near. In your absence I met a man. His name has left me in all these years, but-" she began, but the Doctor held up a hand._

_"Elizabeth, it's alright. I abandoned you. I don't hold you accountable to what you may have done outside our marriage."_

_She shook her head again and gripped the Doctor's arm tightly. At this he became startled. _

_"Good husband, I pray you, let me finish. The man…he possessed the same impossibility as you. He told me that when you returned to my side with a different face that I needed to…relay the words of the prophecy. Doctor," she said, pausing as the great effort overcame her._

_He squeezed her hand reassuringly. He would provide her comfort until the end._

_"He wished me to remind you that you are not alone, my darling. You have never been alone. There is another. She is out there. An orphan of sorts, living in London. The date, 2013. Go to her, my love," Elizabeth said, her breathing labored and slowing with each second._

_Shock commanded his features. I could tell his mind was aflutter. Oh, that brilliant mind. A smile played across his lips and tears filled his eyes._

_Elizabeth gave a weak smile. "The time has come, Doctor, I must go. The words said. My purpose done. Godspeed. I love you, darling sweet."_

_His smile fell, and everything became solemn. "Goodbye, Elizabeth."_

_"Tell me you love me," she breathed._

_He stroked her cheek with tenderness. "Does it really need saying, my wife?"_

With that Elizabeth passed away peacefully and with a smile lingering on her lips.

"We're here," the Doctor murmured, breaking me out of my trance. We stood on the stoop of a large stone building. The shutters were tattered, and the stones were covered with moss. The orphanage. The Doctor reached for the doorknob, but I laid a hand on his arm.

"You can't just go inside. You have to knock," I said incredulously.

He rolled his eyes. "Humans are so strange." With much irritation, he gripped the brass knocker, and knocked on the door.

After a few awkward moments, the door swung open and a middle-aged woman in a large, grey sweater stood in the doorway. "Can I help you?"

The Doctor clasped his hands together and sported an excited smile. "I'm here to see Charlotte Smith," he requested.

"I'm sorry, but unless you are-" the woman started, but the Doctor cut her off by shoving his psychic paper in her face.

"John Smith. Uncle," he explained quickly.

The woman nodded, accepting whatever was viewable on the paper. "Come in."

We were quickly welcomed into the children's home. The foyer was dark and dank and the floorboards creaked under our feet. A staircase ran up the right-side of the room where we assumed the children were kept.

The woman led us into the room on the right which appeared to be a common room of sorts. It had a couple of old couches, a small TV, and a beautiful Christmas tree in the corner.

"Please, sit down," she said, motioning to a couch.

We took a seat next to each other while she sat on the couch across from us.

"I'm Katherine Denley, head caretaker of the children," she said warmly, holding out her hand for us to shake.

"Like I said I'm John Smith and this is my…Clara. Clara Oswald," the Doctor answered awkwardly, gesturing to me.

I grimaced. That was the best he could come up with?

"So you're Charlotte's uncle? Are you interested in adopting the child?" Katherine inquired.

The Doctor grinned. "Why else would we be here?"

Katherine returned a smile. "I was just making sure. But I have to ask, why now? Surely, you know she's been here since she was three," she asked.

The Doctor had to think on his feet. "Well, I didn't have the resources to care for her until now. I was hoping she would want to spend the holiday together at my house."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Anyway, I'll go up and get her. You wait here," she replied, disappearing from the room.

Once I was sure Katherine was out of earshot, I turned to the Doctor. "Are you excited?" I whispered, tugging on his jacket sleeve.

He stood up abruptly and walked over to the window. He remained silent.

My eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?

The Doctor rubbed his hands together. "What if she thinks I'm…strange?" he said softly.

"You're quirkiness is endearing. Who knows? Maybe she has an obsession with bow ties and fezzes too," I laughed.

"I'm serious!" the Doctor yelled, slamming his hand on the dusty window sill.

I startled at the sound, stammering, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

He rubbed his face and sighed. "No, I'm sorry. It's just I haven't seen her in years, and I'm…I'm-"

I knew that he'd never let the word surpass his lips. It was a word that was barely in his vocabulary.

I rose up from the couch and walked over to him. His eyes followed the snowflakes that toppled toward the ground.

"Doctor," I murmured.

"We shouldn't have come here. I'm not ready," the Doctor stuttered, starting to pull away from me.

"Hey, look at me," I demanded, directing his chin to face me, "Are you listening?"

The Doctor nodded.

"You're scared. I get it. Anyone would be. But trust me, it'll be okay. She'll love you for every bow tie, every fez, every weird quirk," I whispered.

A smile returned to his features. "You are amazing, Clara Oswald. Absolutely brilliant."

I winked, but at that very moment another voice joined us.

"Charlotte, this is John Smith, your uncle, and Clara Oswald," Katherine stated, gesturing to the two of us. "I'll leave you three alone."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I felt the Doctor grip my hand tightly, and I squeezed it, relaying comforting words that I didn't want to say in the presence of the young girl.

A slender girl, about 16 years of age, walked cautiously out of the shadows.

The Doctor gasped slightly. "She's exactly how I remember her," he murmured.

Surprisingly enough, she looked very little like the Doctor. Charlotte was rather short and her hair cascaded past her shoulders in blonde waves. A few freckles marked the top of her cheekbones, and her pink, plump lips pressed together in skepticism. Then I saw it. The one connection she did have to him. The one thing that proved she was his.

Her eyes. A stormy blue, but also green when the light hit them the right way. They were identical to his, except Charlotte's were youthful and lively, while his showed years of hardship.

I wonder if he saw the same thing too.

The Doctor gawked at her, completely in a trance, forcing me to nudge him. "Say something," I hissed under my breath.

His eyes came to, suddenly aware of his current situation. He took a couple of steps forward. "Hello, Charlotte. I'm your uncle. Uncle John," he said, holding out his hand.

Charlotte just stared at it. Awkwardly, he retracted his hand, and preoccupied them again with his flailing hand motions.

"Well, anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to spend Christmas Eve with Clara and me. Of course we would have to get Mrs. Denley to agree to it, but-" the Doctor started, but Charlotte cut him off.

"Why?" she inquired coldly.

Ignoring her biting tone, he responded, "I know it's pointless, but she is your caretaker, and I'm-"

"No, why? Why now? You haven't shown your face in 13 years," Charlotte hissed.

Taken aback, the Doctor didn't say anything. He just stood there frozen in time. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"Sorry? No, if you were really sorry you would have come get me a long, long time ago. You left me here. An orphan," she spat.

The Doctor held up his hands in surrender. "Charlotte, I know that you're very upset, but-"

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "I'm not upset. I'm pissed," she snorted.

"And you have every right to be, but I need you to stop interrupting me. I'm not here to make excuses of why I didn't come back sooner, I'm not here to force you to come live with me. You're old enough to make your own decisions, right?" he said softly.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm giving you a choice right now. You can come back and live with me and Clara, or you can stay here in the orphanage-" the Doctor explained, but Charlotte interrupted him again.

"I want to stay here."

"Now you didn't let me finish. Before you-"

She slams her hand against the couch. "Why should I let you finish? What gives you that right? You've been living comfortably with _her _while I've been suffering in this hell. Constantly wondering what I did to make my parents not want me. Beating my brains out trying to figure out what is wrong with me that nobody has ever loved me. So tell me Uncle John, why would I ever want to live with you and your slut? I mean look at her! She could be my sister!" Charlotte yelled.

"Hey! Listen here-" I began, but the Doctor whipped around and held up a hand.

"Don't," he warned.

I crossed my arms, irritated. Why wouldn't he stick up for me? She just called me a slut!

"See and that's where your wrong, Charlotte. I love you. Very much actually," he argued with a comforting tone.

She rolled her eyes. "You've never _met _me. You don't love me. Now leave and never come back."

"I will, I promise, but just do one thing for me. One favor, Charlotte, please," the Doctor said, holding up one finger.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why would I ever do you favor. You've done nothing for me," Charlotte snarled.

"Because your whole life you've been wondering why no one wanted you and what you did that displeased them. I know that you're dying to please someone. This is your chance. Make me a very happy man, Charlotte. One favor. That's all I'm asking," the Doctor implored.

"What are you a therapist?"

"No, but I'm a Doctor. I just want you to do one thing and then I'll leave. I promise," he replied.

Charlotte gave a loud huff. "Fine, what is it?"

"You have a golden fob watch, correct?" the Doctor inquired, nodding to the girl's pocket.

"How'd you know?"

"I-My brother gave it to you when he gave you away. Now that's beside the point, I need you to open it for me," the Doctor explained quickly.

Charlotte pulled the golden chain and watch out of her pocket with a confused expression. "What do you need to know the time or something?"

"No, but it's very important that you open it," he laughed.

"It doesn't even work though. It's been broken for as long as I can remember," she insisted.

"Just open it, Charlotte. Please," the Doctor pleaded.

She rolled her eyes again. Charlotte had a bad habit of doing that.

Digging her nails under the lid, she pulled up, trying to loosen it. "I don't see the point, but-"

Gold exploded from the watch, so bright that I had to shield my eyes with my arms. The clang of the fob watch hitting the floor sounded as Charlotte's skin illuminated in sparkling gold.

"What did you do to me? Ah, make it stop!" she shrieked, gold tears spilling over her cheeks. "Please!"

The Doctor's eyes softened, and I could tell her cries hurt him deeply. "It'll be okay. Just relax. Don't fight it," he said, trying to calm the girl.

I felt sick to my stomach. How much pain was she in? "What's happening to her?" I yelled, trying to be heard over Charlotte's screams and the roar of the fob watch.

"She's remembering!" he exclaimed, a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by his answer. I was expecting a completely arrogant and impossible to understand response, but for once, he didn't hide his feelings behind equations or statistics. He was honest. He was real. He was alive.

My thoughts were quickly shattered though, when Charlotte let out a blood-curdling scream. The temperature in my body dropped and chills rattled my bones.

Just as soon as it had come, the golden energy flowed out of Charlotte's body and returned to the watch. Her skin returned to its porcelain hue, and her screams ceased. The lid to the watch slammed shut after all the energy was captured.

Charlotte stood silent, staring off into nothing.

The Doctor slowly approached her. "Charlotte, are you alright?"

Her eyes rolled around the room, trying to focus on his figure. "I-I'm fine," she answered, her speech slurred and soft.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Mhm, but…I…I'm tired. Really tired. And I think I'm going to-" Charlotte murmured.

At that moment, her eyes closed, and she began to sway on her feet. Charlotte's knees gave out and she spun toward the floor. Before her head could hit the ground though, the Doctor thrust his arms out and caught her torso with a grunt.

"Clara, come on, we have to get back to the TARDIS," he demanded, scooping Charlotte up in his arms.

I didn't argue because I was scared.

She didn't look good.


End file.
